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primaria

pree-MAH-ree-ah/pɾiˈma.ɾja/

“primaria” means “primary school” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

primary school, elementary school

Also: grade school
NounfA2
MexicoSpain
A colorful, simple illustration of a small primary school building with a red roof and green lawn, representing the first stage of education.

📝 In Action

¿A qué edad terminaste la primaria?

A2

At what age did you finish primary school?

Mi hija está en segundo de primaria.

A2

My daughter is in the second grade of elementary school.

Aprendimos a leer y escribir en la primaria.

B1

We learned to read and write in grade school.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • escuela elemental (elementary school)
  • colegio (school (general))

Common Collocations

  • ir a la primaria – to go to primary school
  • educación primaria – primary education

primary, principal

Also: fundamental, initial
An illustration showing four small blue spheres circling one large, dominant red sphere, symbolizing importance or being primary.

📝 In Action

La razón primaria de su visita fue la salud.

B1

The primary reason for her visit was health.

Necesitamos analizar la fuente primaria de información.

B2

We need to analyze the primary source of information.

Esta es la función primaria de este órgano.

B2

This is the primary function of this organ.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • fuente primaria – primary source
  • causa primaria – primary cause

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: primaria

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'primaria' as a noun?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
primario(primary (masculine adjective)) — Adjective
primero(first) — Adjective
principio(beginning) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
diariavariada
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes directly from the Latin word *primarius*, meaning 'of the first rank' or 'principal.' It is built on the root *primus*, meaning 'first.'

First recorded: Medieval Latin

Cognates (Related words)

English: primaryItalian: primaria

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Frequently Asked Questions

How is 'primaria' different from 'secundaria'?

'Primaria' refers to elementary school (usually ages 6-12), which is the first compulsory level of education. 'Secundaria' refers to secondary school (ages 12-16 or 18), which follows the primary level.

Can I use 'primario' for the school?

No. When referring to the school itself, the word is always the feminine noun 'la primaria,' even though the related adjective is 'primario' (masculine) and 'primaria' (feminine).